Foreign material eliminator and aerial warning marker for overhead conductors



y 2, 1968 J. A. MOLL 3,391,244

FOREIGN MATERIAL ELIMINATOR AND AERIAL WARNING MARKER FOR OVERHEADCONDUCTORS Filed Sept. 14, 1965 INVENTOR. A JO/l/Y A. Man

- AGE/VT United States Patent 3,391,244 FOREIGN MATERIAL ELIMINATOR ANDAERIAL WARNING MARKER FOR OVER- HEAD CONDUCTORS John A. Moll, 16239 LakeHills Blvd., Bellevue, WVash. 98009 Filed Sept. 14, 1965, Ser. No.487,273 12 Claims. (Cl. 174-40) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foreignmaterial eliminator and aerial warning marker for an overhead electricalconducting wire expose-d to the elements wherein snow, ice, or any otherheavy material may collect on and overload the wire comprising a singlevane device, or a plurality of elongated vanes devices rigidly clampedto the wire and axially spaced along the wire, whereby torque generatedby the vane loaded with the foreign material overcomes the 'torque inthe wire to accordingly swing downwardly to discharge the load, and thenimmediately returns to its original horizontal position forautomatically and periodically discharging a predetermined load of theforeign material that has collected on the wire.

This invention pertains to a device for eliminating foreign materialfrom collecting to a dangerous degree on wires exposed to the elementsof weather.

More particularly this invention comprises a mechanical device fordislodging and unloading snow :and therefore most instances .of ice fromoff outside wires, or wires in such locations that they acquireaccumulations of foreign materials.

The accumulation of snow on high lines and other outside wires willdestroy or will cause damage to the wires and supporting structureamounting to thousands of dollars cost each year in the United Statesalone.

In all areas subject to snow and freezing temperatures, expensive cableand supporting tower constructions are required to withstand theexcessive loading conditions due to occasional accumulations of snow andice. And it is not uncommon for extra large and strong wires to breakunder the load of snow and ice while being whipped by a strong wind ormild gale. Accordingly, the breaking down of outside wires ortransmission lines and/or the excessive reinforcing of these outsideWires is an expensive problem to solve.

Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide asimple, economical foreign material eliminator for wires so that lighterand less expensive wires and supporting tower constructions therefor maybe utilized.

Another object of this invention is to provide a positive action andself-resetting device for unloading accumulations of foreign material,as snow or ice on snow from transmission cables, for example.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an automatic devicefor allowing a limited amount of accumulation of foreign material, assnow and ice, on an outside wire or cable, and periodically dischargingthe load prior to the wire reaching the breaking point.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device forautomatically discharging a predetermined load of foreign material froma wire, and which device is.

easily attachable and detachable from the wire with an integral lockingdevice.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a non-oriented,automatic discharging and resetting foreign material eliminator forwires and having at least three vanes.

Other objects and various advantages of the disclosed 3,391,244 PatentedJuly 2, 1968 foreign material eliminator for wires will be apparent fromthe following detailed description, together with the accompanyingdrawings, submitted for purposes of illustration only and not intendedto define the scope .of the invention, reference being had for thatpurpose to the subjoined claims.

Briefly this invention comprises a foreign material eliminator for awire for automatically and periodically discharging a predetermined loadof the foreign material as snow, ice, or any other heavy material thathas collect-ed on the wire. It comprises a single vane device, or aplurality of elongated vane devices rigidly clamped to a wire andaxially spaced along the wire, each vane being clamped at a position onthe wire whereby its static position is substantially horizontal wherebyas the accumulation of foreign material builds up to the predeterminedamount, the torque generated by the weighted vane overcomes the torquein the wire to accordingly swing downwardly to discharge the load, andthen immediately returns to its original horizontal position. Thepreferred embodiment comprises a single vane. A modification comprisesthree vanes radiating from a common wire clamp which can be clamped atany position radially about the Wire. The wire is accordingly maintainedfree of detrimental heavy loads caused by accumulations of foreignmaterial.

The drawing diagrammatically illustrates by way of example, not by wayof limitation, two forms of the invention wherein like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts in the several views in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the foreign material eliminator forwires shown locked to a wire and before being released so that itsweight rotates the vane to a horizontal position for collecting theforeign material;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device per se of FIG. 1 in unlockedposition in preparedness for insertion of a bushing and attachment to awire; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of a modification of the device of FIG. 1.

The invention, the scope .of which being defined in the appended claimsis not limited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of parts shown and described, since the invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousother ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology orterminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not oflimitation.

FIG. 1 illustrates the disclosed foreign material eliminator 10 rigidlyclamped to a wire 11. While the primary purpose is to prevent a greatdetrimental build-up of snow and ice on the wires, the eliminatorlikewise prevents the precarious build-up of any other foreign materialhaving a weight great enough to overload and break the wires.

FIG. 2 illustrates the foreign material eliminator '10 comprisingprincipally vane 12 and locking means 13.

Vane 12 is formed of any suitable material such as, but not limited toextruded or injection molded plastic as Teflon, so that any foreignmaterial will slide off when rotated to near the vertical position.Other usable materials would include nylon, polyethylene, etc. Whileonly two short vanes are illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, to be positioned inthe center of a span, obviously the vane may be very wide, extendingsubstantially from pole to pole covering most of the wire, or any numberof narrow vanes may be utilized as desired, all spaced equally orotherwise along the wire between the supporting poles.

The foreign material eliminator is impregnated with the desired color ofa suitable dye or coloring material. The desired color is fluorescentorange or red. This, as a visual warning means will prevent low flyingaircraft and helicopters from colliding with the lines or wires,particularly near airfields, crop dusting areas, etc.

The vane 12, FIG. 2 has the locking means 13 integral with the inner end14 and the outer end 15 preferably being tapered and comprising anarcuate portion curved upwardly slightly for weight control andincreased load carrying capacity.

Locking means 13 comprises preferably, but not limited to, a resilientlocking lever 16 integral with the vane end 14, formed at an anglesubstantially between 60 and 90 with the vane, a catch 17 formedintegral with the vane, and a split bushing 18, FIG. 1, for maintaininga rigid, fixed, or integral connection between the vane and wire. Thissplit, serrated bushing 18 may be comprised of rubber or syntheticrubber and of various inside diameters to accommodate lines of differentoutside diameters. The internal arcuate surface of the inner end of thelocking lever 16 is serrated to lock with serrations on the externalsurface of the bushing 18 therein, and serrations on the internalsurface of the bushing increase the clamping action or friction betweenthe bushing and the wire.

To insure removal of the snow or any other foreign material that maytend to adhere to the vane, the wind acting on the aerodynamicallyshaped vane will cause a flutter, vibration, and/or line oscillation foradditional implementation of snow removal.

In operation, the foreign material eliminator with the split bushing 18therein is hooked over the wire in a tilted up position slightly abovethe horizon as hown in FIG. 1. Then the locking lever 16 is rotatedinwardly and snapped under catch 17 to clamp the lever rigidly andfirmly to the wire. The tilted up angle above the. horizon was only suchan amount that the torque generated by the weight of the empty vanerotates the wire and vane to a substantially horizontal or operatingposition of the vane. As the foreign material collects on the wirecovering vane, the torque generated by the extra weight causes the vaneto rotate downwardly. Just before the load becomes detrimental, thetorque generated is suificient to overcome the torque of the wire torotate the wire to a downwardly extending near vertical position toaccordingly discharge the foreign material. The residual torque of thewire then returns the empty vane to its original Operating position forcollecting more foreign material again.

A modification is disclosed in FIG. 3 of a foreign material eliminator10a having three or more vanes a, 15b, and 15c, each integrallyconnected to a center portion having a split bushing similar to that ofFIGS. 1 and 2, if so desired. All other parts of eliminator 10a aresimilar to the corresponding parts of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The main purpose of the symmetrical, three-vaned configuration is toprovide an automatic foreign material eliminator that does not requireorientation with respect to the horizon when clamped to the wire. Thisparticular configuration may be installed on the wire on the ground, ifso desired. This modification is very useful where the wire span isinaccessible from the ground, such as power lines strung over deepcanyons or rivers, etc.

Since the foreign material eliminator of FIG. 3 may be fixedly securedto a wire in any position, the snow collects on the vane having thegreatest vertical projected area on a horizontal plane for swinging orrotating that vane downwardly to a substantially vertical posi; tion fordischarging the foreign material.

While only two embodiments of the invention have been shown in theaccompanying drawings, it will be evident that various othermodifications are possible in the arrangement and construction of thedisclosed foreign material eliminator for wires without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A foreign material eliminator in combination with a wire in such alocation that it may acquire an accumulation of foreign materialcomprising,

(a) a clean vane free of foreign material having an inner end and anouter end,

(b) vane locking means fixedly attaching said inner end of said vane tothe wire with said vane and its outer end being in an outwardlyprotruding, substantially horizontal position,

(c) said wire having a torque just sufficient to maintain said cleanvane horizontal whereby an additional torque applied to said wire wouldswing said vane through an angle approaching and (d) said locking meansbeing responsive to the additional torque generated in said wire by theaccumulation of foreign material on said vane for swinging said vanedownwardly for discharging said foreign material from said vane.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein,

(a) said vane is curved upwardly adjacent its outer end when in saidsubstantially horizontal position, and

(b) said vane is tapered toward its outer end.

3. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein,

(a) said vane comprises three equal length vanes radiating from saidlocking device means,

(b) said vanes being equally spaced around the periphery of said wirewhereby at least one of said three vanes is always in position toaccumulate the foreign material, and

(c) said locking device means being responsive to the torque generatedby the accumulation of foreign material on said one of said three vanesfor swinging said one vane with the accumulation downwardly fordischarging said foreign material.

4. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein,

(a) a bushing is positioned around said wire,

(b) said locking means comprises a locking lever and latch on said innerend of said vane being locked around and grasping said bushing, and

(c) said bushing is held by said locking lever, whereby said vane may befixedly attached radially about the wire in said outwardly protrudinghorizontal position.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 wherein,

(a) said locking lever has serrations internally thereof,

(b) said bushing has serrations on the external surface thereofcooperating with said locking lever serrations, and

(c) said bushing has serrations on the internal surface thereof grippingsaid wire.

6. A foreign material eliminator in combination with a wire in locationswhere they acquire an accumulation of foreign material comprising,

(a) a clean vane free of foreign material having an inner end and anouter end,

(b) vane inner end locking device means fixedly attaching said inner endof said vane to the wire with said vane and its outer end being in afirst position located substantially on the horizon,

(c) said wire having a first torque just suflicient to maintain saidclean vane in said first position whereby an additional torque appliedto said wire would swing said vane through an angle approaching 90,

(d) said locking device means being responsive to the additional torquegenerated in said wire by the accumulation of the foreign material onsaid vane for swinging said vane downwardly to a substantially verticalsecond position for discharging said foreign material from said vane,and

(e) said locking device means being responsive to said first torque forswinging said empty vane back to said original first position.

7. A device as recited in claim 6 wherein,

(a) said horizontal vane is tapered and curved upwardly toward its outerend.

8. A device as recited in claim 6 wherein said locking device meanscomprises,

(a) a resilient locking lever connected to said vane for moving into andout of locking position,

(b) a bushing between said lever and said vane, and

(c) a latch for maintaining said lever in locked position.

9. A device as recited in claim 8 wherein,

(a) said lever, vane, and bushing have internal and external surfacesand said wire has an external surface,

(b) serrations are formed in the surfaces between said lever, vane, andbushing, and

(c) serrations are formed in one of said surfaces between said bushingand said wire.

10. A foreign material eliminator for a wire as recited in claim 6wherein,

(a) three vanes radiate from said locking device means,

and

(b) said vanes are equally spaced around the periphery of the wire.

11. A foreign material eliminator as recited in claim 6 wherein,

(a) said vane comprises a material impregnated with a. brightfluorescent color to form a visual warning device for low flyingaircraft.

12. A foreign material eliminator in combination with a wire adapted toaccumulate great and detrimental amounts of foreign material comprising,

(a) eliminator center portion means fixedly attached circumferentiallyto said wire,

(b) a plurality of equally spaced, arcuate vanes fixed to and radiatingoutwardly from said center portion means,

(c) said wire having a first torque just sufficient to return the cleanvanes to a first position wherein one of said plurality of vanes has thegreatest vertical projected area,

((1) said center portion means being responsive to a second torquegenerated in said wire by the accumulation of the foreign material onsaid vane with the greatest vertical projected area for swinging orrotating that vane downwardly to a substantially vertical secondposition for discharging said foreign material therefrom, and

(e) said center portion means being responsive to said first torque forswinging or rotating said center portion means to said first position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 249,777 11/ 1881 La Fleur 256-4405,851 6/1889 Schlyer 256-4 3,135,236 6/1964 Pfeilfer et al. 116-114FOREIGN PATENTS Y 77,413 7/ 1919 Austria. 734,092 7/ 1955 Great Britain.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

